Morality and Religion in Defoe's Robinson Crusoe and Moll Flanders

1. “The magical time of childhood stood still, and the pulse of the living earth pressed its mystery into my living blood” (1.1).

The first reason Robinson Crusoe is not a likeable or admirable character is that he is extremely self-absorbed. While Crusoe is praised for taking his own path and facing against adversity, the reader can not deny the fact that he is in fact disgustingly self absorbed. An instance of this comes to mind when Robinson declares himself the king of the island, fully believing that he is superior to any other being the island could offer, just because of who he is. He constantly puts himself on a pedestal above others thinking that he is too good for things. An example of this is when he is on his first voyage and the ship is sinking. When he is called to the pump to help, he scoffs and sits there doing nothing while others work their hardest to keep from going under. It is also

"It is with considerable difficulty that I remember the original era of my being; all the events of that period appear confused and indistinct. A strange multiplicity of sensations seized me, and I saw, felt, heard, and smelt at the same time; and it was, indeed, a long time before I learned to distinguish between the operations of my various senses. By degrees, I remember, a stronger light pressed upon my nerves, so that I was obliged to shut my eyes. Darkness then came over me and troubled me, but hardly had I felt this when, by opening my eyes, as I now suppose, the light

“He looked around him as if seeing the world for the first time. The world was beautiful, strange, and mysterious.” (page 39)

In Iris Murdoch’s ‘Morality and Religion”, she discusses the balance between the conscious morality of human nature and the connection between a supernatural being of religious beliefs. Murdoch writes on the topic of virtue, if there can only be one true concept of it, or if there are multiple ideas or beliefs that create it. Murdoch then goes to discuss the difference between virtue and duty, which ultimately comes down to three types: virtue ethics, duty ethics, and pragmatic ethics. When she speaks of morality, she questions if good behavior has any part of religious idealism or if a nonreligious being could foster just as good behavior. Then leading into the feeling of guilt and if morality relates to it. Finishing her passage in the thought of whether religion is moral in nature and if high morality is essentially religion.

"Fire want to burn, Water want to flow, Air wants to rise, Earth wants to bind, and Chaos want to Devour."

Thus, Robinson Crusoe was displaying uncertain signs of his belief in God. It isn’t until he is on the uninhabited island that he begins to slowly convert into a full Christian.

‘Well then you will know. You have just seen what is for all time. The light you first saw is divine intelligence, which contains everything, including the archetypes of all beings. The gloom into which you were plunged is the material world where men of earth live. But the fire which you saw flame forth from the depths, is the Divine Word, God is the Father, the Word is the Son, their union is Life.’

“Where what breathes, breathes / and what drinks, drinks,” the persona says (3,5). Natures relationships depicted in the first stanza are beautiful. At first, something as simple as the “islands” may seem unimportant (1). Once analyzed, its purposed is defined by providing a warm home for life to sustain. Without the “restless wind” and “incoming tide,” the animals could not sustain (4,6). Everything in the universe is interconnected.

The first reason that Robinson Crusoe is an admirable character is because he devotes himself to growing his spiritual life. First, he asserts, “My duty to God, and the reading scriptures, which I constantly set apart some time from thrice every day.” (Defoe

It has been observed that when placed in harsh or unusual conditions, people tend to look to spiritual support to help them overcome adversity. In Robinson Crusoe, Daniel Defoe not only depicts the struggle of a man abandoned on a deserted island, but also depicts Crusoe's repentance for past disobedience against his father and humanity as well as his acceptance of religion into his life. Crusoe's religious beliefs, however, do not remain consistent; in fact, he later uses religion as a justification for murder and other immoral acts. Crusoe accepts religion into his life, repenting for his sins throughout the novel, however his faith is not genuine, only becoming strong when he experiences misfortunes.

"Know thus far forth. By accident most strange, bountiful Fortune (Now my dear lady) hath mine enemies Brought to this shore; and by my prescience I find my zenith doth depend upon A

This paper is an attempt to examine the seeming opposition of religion vs. self-interest with respect to the character of Robinson Crusoe. I will venture to demonstrate that in the novel, Defoe illustrates the contradictions with which Crusoe must contend as he strives to please God while ensuring his own survival in the world. In part, I will endeavor to show that a distorted sense of Puritanism as well as the existing colonial mindset exacerbated this opposition, and resulted in what I propose to be Defoe's (possibly retroactive) imposition of a religious justification for Crusoe's actions.

The theme of "man’s relationship to God and the universe" presented in Epistle 1 of Alexander Pope’s "An Essay on Man" complements Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe. Crusoe is an inconsistent character who turns to God whenever he is in need, yet fails to maintain respect for nature and for his fellow man. In the first year of Robinson Crusoe’s solitary life on the island, he falls ill and has a terrifying dream that alters his awareness of his place in the universe and God’s control of it. This experience leads him to contemplate his past ingratitude and to embark on a life of piety, reading the Bible daily, though without a drastic or permanent change in his character.

“Robinson Crusoe, which appeared in 1719, is the first of a series of tales of adventure for which Defoe is now admired…” (Abrams, Greenblatt 2288). It is fictitious story about an Englishman who spent 28 years on Desert Island. This story is fictional however the author of the story was inspired by real event. Alexander Selkirk, Scotch sailor spent four years and four months on uninhabited island. It is not sure, if Daniel Defoe ever met Alexander Selkirk but the inspiration by fate of this sailor is obvious.